Global Gallery

Global Gallery
3535 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

Global Gallery is a local set of shops that sell hand-made jewelry and household items using a "trade not aid" business model that benefits people in developing countries. To this end they also sell small organic and "ethical" food items like chocolate bars and, most importantly, coffee. Global Gallery now has its own cafe in Clintonville in a building that has also been used as a garden store and a locksmith shop. Its eclectic history is reflected in various architectural idiosyncrasies, nooks, and crannies which make it a very interesting place to enjoy a coffee.

Espresso

Machine: Three-group La Pavoni

Positive:
Ground per shot.
Barista knew ristretto terminology.

Negative:
The crema dissipated quickly.
Body was too thin.
Volume of liquid in the cup was too great for a ristretto.
Did not purge group prior to or after the shot was pulled.
The espresso tasted sour and too fruity (like cough syrup, almost).

Cappuccino

Positive:
Used whole milk, so the froth held up well.
Well proportioned foam:milk:espresso.

Negative:
The serving size was too large. They have no cups smaller than 20 ounces.
Tasted sour, like the solo espresso shots.

The drink was served too hot. Damion took a regular first sip and used all the normal precautions one takes when unsure of a given drink's temperature and was still so overwhelmed by the heat that he spat it out immediately. It was pretty rough. A lot of cursing was involved.

Drip

The drip coffee (a blend called Justice) was served out of an airpot and tasted fresh, with positive grainy and sesame flavors and a slippery mouth-feel. This and the ambiance were the best part of the whole experience.

Double-Action!

This one's a two-fer!

Suds N Java
1254 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Suds N Java is just South of Campus and is both a laundromat and internet cafe rolled into one. While it is a great place to do some laundry and surf the net, it needs some work on the coffee. Rather than freshly ground espresso, they use the same “coffee pods” one might find provided for guests in a hotel room. The pod was placed in the single group Nuova Simonelli machine and brewed for about a minute. Our “double shots” were about 8 ounces each, quite bitter and undrinkable. They have other redeeming qualities beside coffee. Go for the laundry and web surfing.

After the incident with the pod, we decided to switch gears and simplify.

Yeah, Me Too!
3005 Indianola Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43202

Yeah, Me Too! is situated near Studio 35 in Clintonville. It is a profoundly basic coffee shop, featuring one hot brew, one cold brew, and a limited supply of bagged roasted coffee. The Diedrich roaster they use is bolted down near the front window and bags of green beans aren't far away. The whole place is just a little bigger than a large living room but, unlike most living rooms, there are no chairs or couches. Or benches. Or stools. There are also no tables but, for as austere as it sounds, the place has a welcoming atmosphere.

The best part of Yeah, Me Too! is that all of their hot coffee is made with a French press and the beans they use vary daily. The coffee on offer was a blend of medium-dark roasted Brazil and Sumatra. The gentleman behind the counter started the press as soon as we ordered but did not ask for payment until later, and only after he served our toddies. Our first impression was that it was exceptionally clean. There was a nice, fuller body to it with a slighter acidity, and faint nuttiness. After her first round of critical sips, Bronwyn felt that it held up fantastically to cream. Overall, a delicious coffee, a great roast, and properly brewed. Nice job, Yeah, Me Too!

Crimson Cup

Crimson Cup Coffee House
4541 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43214

Crimson Cup is a Columbus-based coffee roaster that serves high-volume clients like OSU as well as small coffee shops around the country. They have a special coffee startup program that educates entrepreneurs in the ways of the cafe. For years, however, they had no retail operation of their own. This changed in 2007 when they opened the Crimson Cup Coffee House in the Clintonville neighborhood. Since then they have woven themselves into the fabric of the community by displaying work from children's art classes, giving time to local musicians, and hosting small events. Those pressed for time have the option of using Crimson Cup's drive-thru. Those with a little time to kill can enjoy a clean, modern interior that features CNN on a flat-panel TV and paintings of the Crimson Cup logo. Photos of the second-wave coffee shop Espresso Experience (“Armando had his very first Caffe Latte here in February, 1980”) hang in homage to the nascent specialty coffee industry.

Espresso

The beans were Armando's Blend, a medium/dark roast mix of African, Indonesian, and Latin American coffees, for all of their espresso as well as drip coffees. This espresso was decent, better than most espressos we have had in Columbus. The crema was a darker brown but not speckled. It was sticky, on the thicker side, and really latched onto the sides of the cappuccino-sized ceramic cup (demitasses were available but not used). The result is a high-acidity shot with a strong lemon flavor and undertones of fresh dry leaves. Although their technique was a bit better than most, it still led to a bitter shot.

Equipment: Nuova Simonelli espresso machine

Beans: Armando's Blend, Crimson Cup

Positives:
Portafilters remained in groupheads between shots
Coffee ground per shot
Thick, oily texture
Dark crema
Served with saucer

Negatives:
Did not clean the portafilter or purge group between shots
Espresso grounds in the cup
Sour, unsweetened lemon zest taste
Crema did not last very long (though longer than most places' shots)
Did not preheat cup
No spoon

Cappuccino

The barista pulled the shot for this cappuccino before he started on the two espressos we ordered, then let it sit while he pulled the two espressos and steamed milk, letting the espresso for the cappuccino just sit there for at least a minute or two (the lifespan of espresso shots is 30 seconds or less). In espresso and Coffeeland, timing is everything! That shot should have been thrown out and he should have pulled a new one. Espresso does not have a limitless lifespan! Let's not even talk about the bubble bath foam.

Positives:
Used fresh milk
Whole milk is their default
Good espresso, steamed milk, foam proportions (1:1:1, 6-7oz)

Negatives:
Used same sour espresso as before
Did not preheat cup
Bubbly froth, not creamy microfoam, on top

Drip

Like the espresso, Crimson Cup's drip coffee was made with Armando's Blend. As a drip coffee the high acidity is mitigated, allowing a brightness not found in the espresso. A balanced body and flavors of citrus, berry, and light campfire smoke are present. If you like coffees that are more acidic (acidity is not always bad! It can be very good! Like a little dance on your tongue!), this is the coffee for you.

Additional Notes

Crimson Cup opened a counter inside the Gahanna Stoneridge Kroger store in February of this year and has nothing at all to do with this.